I'm so happy to have a four day weekend aaaand not have to be trapped in a car headed away for the weekend. D.C. has nightmare traffic and although I would dearly love to be at the beach, I'm super happy to be spending time at home, planting some herbs and hanging out by the pool. One of the best upgrades in moving into this apartment is that there is a community pool. While I'm not one to sit and bake all day (what with being melanin challenged), I do like swimming around and reading magazines while I dry off. Mr. 3 (who is not melanin challenged) may work on his tan (men are so lucky...they have far less concern about wrinkles) and will also come swim with me in the pool. The pool is located in a different part of our complex, so we will have a short walk around the hood to get to our destination. Some of our route to the pool is actually on public streets, so a cover up is definitely necessary. Here's my list of poolside fashion necessities:
Cover Up: I like to be cute, but tasteful....so no see through cover ups and my tush/lady bits should be covered.
Shoes: I also don't understand women who wear super high heels to the pool...seems dangerous, uncomfortable, and impractical. If you are trying to grab the attention of a certain man, trust me a swim suit is enough...its basically socially acceptable underwear. Opt for slide on shoe - a cute flat, flip flop, or shoe with a very, very, very small wedge (like an inch or less). If you don't feel like your shoes will get destroyed and you want something that can take you from the pool to a nice dinner, invest in a nicer quality pair so it will be less to pack for vacation. If you are headed to the beach, go for a cheap pair because inevitably sand + leather + salt water + $$$$ = sad beach bunny.
Accessories: Of course, no matter if you are melanin challenged or not, make sure to bring your hat and sunglasses...you'll need them for the hottest parts of the day and to shade your eyes while you try to catch up on your reading. Definitely keep the hat cheap, it will probably get smushed at some point and it's going to cover your chlorine saturated head anyways. World Market has some great options. For sunglasses, it depends on your personality. I have friends who refuse to buy expensive sunglasses because they lose them or squash them and they buy tons of pairs from Target, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx and keep them stashed all over the place. I have purchased three pairs of expensive sunglasses, purchased at Nordstrom Rack, and I paid $50-$80 for each of them. HOWEVER, (knock on wood), I have only lost one pair which I had for about three years before losing them. I do keep one really cheap pair for playing in the ocean so if a wave knocks them off, no worries. No matter which way you go, pick ones that cover a ton of your eyes to avoid sun damage.
Beach Bag: Finally, pick out a cute beach bag to tote all of your sunscreen, reading materials, ipod, etc. Go cheap on these because you'll probably wind up spilling sunscreen or a drink and be really really really sad to see a stain on your $400 tote bag. I suggest a contrasting but complimentary color to your cover up.
Overall Style: Pick a style that goes with all your swimsuits: sexy (but not trashy), sporty, and preppy glam are all great choices!
Cover Up: I like to be cute, but tasteful....so no see through cover ups and my tush/lady bits should be covered.
Shoes: I also don't understand women who wear super high heels to the pool...seems dangerous, uncomfortable, and impractical. If you are trying to grab the attention of a certain man, trust me a swim suit is enough...its basically socially acceptable underwear. Opt for slide on shoe - a cute flat, flip flop, or shoe with a very, very, very small wedge (like an inch or less). If you don't feel like your shoes will get destroyed and you want something that can take you from the pool to a nice dinner, invest in a nicer quality pair so it will be less to pack for vacation. If you are headed to the beach, go for a cheap pair because inevitably sand + leather + salt water + $$$$ = sad beach bunny.
Accessories: Of course, no matter if you are melanin challenged or not, make sure to bring your hat and sunglasses...you'll need them for the hottest parts of the day and to shade your eyes while you try to catch up on your reading. Definitely keep the hat cheap, it will probably get smushed at some point and it's going to cover your chlorine saturated head anyways. World Market has some great options. For sunglasses, it depends on your personality. I have friends who refuse to buy expensive sunglasses because they lose them or squash them and they buy tons of pairs from Target, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx and keep them stashed all over the place. I have purchased three pairs of expensive sunglasses, purchased at Nordstrom Rack, and I paid $50-$80 for each of them. HOWEVER, (knock on wood), I have only lost one pair which I had for about three years before losing them. I do keep one really cheap pair for playing in the ocean so if a wave knocks them off, no worries. No matter which way you go, pick ones that cover a ton of your eyes to avoid sun damage.
Beach Bag: Finally, pick out a cute beach bag to tote all of your sunscreen, reading materials, ipod, etc. Go cheap on these because you'll probably wind up spilling sunscreen or a drink and be really really really sad to see a stain on your $400 tote bag. I suggest a contrasting but complimentary color to your cover up.
Overall Style: Pick a style that goes with all your swimsuits: sexy (but not trashy), sporty, and preppy glam are all great choices!
Tory Burch bohemian tunic / Victoria s Secret swim cover up / Blue pants / Flip flop sandals / Kate Spade white sandals / Forever 21 flip flops / Jute tote / Monsoon decorating bag / Forever 21 tote bag / J Crew palm hat / J Crew hat / J.Crew mirrored glasses / Twill Cotton Cap Mint / Retro glasses / Topshop plastic glasses
I really love those beach pants from Lilly Pulitzer. I've tried them on in store and they are sooooo comfortable and lightweight, despite being long. I suggest topping them off with a cheapy colored tank top from Walmart or Target. The tassel on the aqua tote bag is also adorable and helps tie it back to the Tory Burch tunic preppy glam look.
There is no need to go out and buy a totally new outfit. I haven't found a cute tote bag yet, but I bought a new cover up from World Market (which is my first since college! on sale for $25!) to match my red bathing suit I got from Nordstrom last year. Even though it's cream colored, it's also lined so I don't have to worry about it being see through. My hat is from American Eagle from two years ago and my silver flip flops are Lilly Pulitzer (which I got for free during one of their Endless Summer sales as part of a promotion).
Watching your pennies? Check out raise.com for discounted gift cards to get your poolside fashion on! You can also sell any unwanted gift cards you have lying about. Right now you can snag a Nordstrom gift card for up to more than 2% off the face value, or perhaps sell yours for over 97% face value depending on which way you are working the website. Combine that with Ebates 6% off Nordstrom purchases for a new bathing suit and you save enough money for good quality sunscreen, SPF 80! Our philosophy: more money saved = more fun sun hats. And wear sunscreen!
Check out our Posh Purpose Spray Tan Tips and World Market hat selection for completing your look! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend relaxing!
I really love those beach pants from Lilly Pulitzer. I've tried them on in store and they are sooooo comfortable and lightweight, despite being long. I suggest topping them off with a cheapy colored tank top from Walmart or Target. The tassel on the aqua tote bag is also adorable and helps tie it back to the Tory Burch tunic preppy glam look.
There is no need to go out and buy a totally new outfit. I haven't found a cute tote bag yet, but I bought a new cover up from World Market (which is my first since college! on sale for $25!) to match my red bathing suit I got from Nordstrom last year. Even though it's cream colored, it's also lined so I don't have to worry about it being see through. My hat is from American Eagle from two years ago and my silver flip flops are Lilly Pulitzer (which I got for free during one of their Endless Summer sales as part of a promotion).
Watching your pennies? Check out raise.com for discounted gift cards to get your poolside fashion on! You can also sell any unwanted gift cards you have lying about. Right now you can snag a Nordstrom gift card for up to more than 2% off the face value, or perhaps sell yours for over 97% face value depending on which way you are working the website. Combine that with Ebates 6% off Nordstrom purchases for a new bathing suit and you save enough money for good quality sunscreen, SPF 80! Our philosophy: more money saved = more fun sun hats. And wear sunscreen!
Check out our Posh Purpose Spray Tan Tips and World Market hat selection for completing your look! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend relaxing!
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